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The outcome of Saturday’s Johor state election will have no bearing on the fate of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, says Umno information chief Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.
Azalina, who is also the Pengerang MP and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), said there is no legal provision allowing election results to influence the release of any individual.
Instead, she stressed that the power to grant a pardon rests solely with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
“There is no law stating that elections can free anyone. What is happening today (pardons) is the power of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. It has nothing to do with politics,” she was quoted as saying by The Star.
Azalina made the remarks during a press conference after attending the National Cyber Security Summit (NCSS) 2026 in Putrajaya today.
She was responding to claims that a comfortable Barisan Nasional (BN) victory in the Johor state election could lead to Najib’s release from Kajang Prison.
READ MORE: [Watch] Win Johor, Free Bossku — That’s The Najib Camp’s Maths
Najib is currently serving two overlapping prison sentences — an initial six-year term for his SRC International conviction and a consecutive 15-year sentence following his conviction in the 1MDB case.
Despite his imprisonment, calls for Najib’s release remain a key issue among sections of the Umno grassroots, with supporters continuing to campaign for clemency.
One supporter said the former prime minister, like any other person, was not immune from making mistakes.
Najib has served almost four years of his prison sentence.
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